Your Right to Know

Three high-level employees have been fired in a shake-up at a Powell-area Republican advertising
firm that steadily has gained national notice in federal and state races.

Rex Elsass, founder and chief operating officer of the Strategy Group for Media, confirmed that
he has terminated the employment of longtime employee Nick Everhart and two other executives, PJ
Wenzel and Matt Parker, who came aboard this year when Strategy Group bought their firm.

Elsass said the three were fired “for inappropriate behavior,” but he declined to elaborate.

“Anybody who acts inconsistently with our human-resources directory and our standards, there’s
no place for them here,” Elsass said. “It doesn’t matter what their title is.”Everhart, 33, who was
president of Strategy Group for Media for about a year, had been with the firm 12 years and was
hired shortly after he graduated from Ohio State University.

He declined to describe the circumstances that led to his departure and those of the other two
former employees.

The three were fired on April 6, a day after the firm won 40 Pollies and 12 Tellies, the Emmys
of political advertising, for its work in the 2012 election.

A Republican source familiar with the circumstances said that Elsass fired the three men after
they confronted him to seek clarity on the financial stability of the firm and on personal behavior
issues.

Front Porch Strategies, a voter contact firm, was acquired by Elsass at the beginning of the
year, and its founders had taken key positions in newly established branches: Wenzel as president
of Strategy Group for Phones and Parker as president of Strategy Group for New Media. Elsass said
he has promoted Brian Osborne to replace Wenzel.

Elsass also has hired Kelley Paul, wife of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, as director of
client communications. The Strategy Group ran the media campaign for Paul’s successful 2010
election.

Elsass, former executive director of the Ohio Republican Party, founded the Strategy Group in
1994. Its clients include Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.